You are happy to have chosen new towels in the store and are looking forward to using them for the first time. However, you need to arm yourself with a certain amount of patience. Otherwise, your new towels may not absorb water as well as you would expect. Why does this happen? How to proceed when washing towels for the first time and how to take care of them so that they remain soft, fluffy and do not lose their color for a long time? Make sure you haven’t missed an important step.

Mandatory first wash of towels

Why should towels be washed before first use?

  • The most obvious answer is the issue of hygiene. After all, there can be dirt on the fabric from transportation and from being on the store counter.

But that’s not all.

  • New towels may not absorb water due to residual dyes and other substances used in production. The first wash removes these chemicals, making the material ready for regular use.

Before starting the washing machine, do one thing

Washing towels every day is not a difficult task. You should focus more on it when you have just brought new fabrics from the store.

  1. However, before you insert and turn on the washing machine, wet the towels before the first use.
  2. Use cold water with vinegar for this – you need about half a glass of the product for five liters of water.
  3. Soaking should last at least three hours.

Vinegar it helps to remove chemical substances and at the same time softens the fibers of the towels and improves the absorbency of the fabric. It also neutralizes unpleasant odors. The whole process also helps remove some of the fine fibers that naturally separate from towels during washing.

How to wash towels to make them absorbent and soft?

The initial phase is over. It’s time to move on to starting the washing machine and doing the first wash of towels.

  • Read the label carefully, on which the manufacturer provided basic information on how to care for the fabric. From it you will find out at what temperature to wash the towels. Very high temperatures are not suitable for towels, as they can cause faster wear of the fabric.
  • Set the washing program to a temperature of 40-60 °C – not higher.
  • You can use standard washing powder or special detergent.
  • Pour a glass of vinegar diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1 into the rinse compartment. This method preserves the color of the towels and prevents them from fading.
  • Vinegar will also wash away detergent residue, so it’s worth remembering this trick every day – not only during the first wash after purchase.
  • Avoid using fabric softeners. Although they leave a pleasant smell, they also clump together the fibers of the towels, making them flatter and less absorbent. They simply stop performing their function.
  • Also, don’t forget that towels do not like bleach.

Useful tips

  • It is advisable to remember not to overfill the washing machine. There should be some slack left in the drum to make both washing and rinsing more efficient.
  • Do not wash towels together with other items – it can always happen that, even after several or ten washes, they become “dusty” and tiny fibers settle on your outgoing clothes.
  • When buying towels, avoid models with numerous decorations. Where decorative patterns have been placed, the material usually does not absorb water.

Bleach destroys textiles. I have an ecological way of cleaning white socks